Empowering women for growth and development

By Katherine Nabuzale

The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, has challenged Commonwealth countries to open more spaces for women participation in the decision making processes. This was echoed during the opening of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentary Conference at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort. The women conference is part of the activities of the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference currently taking place in Kampala, Uganda.

Women participation in decision making is a child of women empowerment, a theme that has been majorly discussed at this Commonwealth Parliamentary conference. Although good progress has and is being made to empower and support women, a lot still needs to be done for actual realization of results from all these empowerment programs and talks.

The question therefore is, how can we empower and strengthen women and girls to position them for growth and development?

Provide the ticket to education

Indisputable is the fact that the number of girls currently enrolled in school has gone up and many are making great strides with their education journey. However, the issue of having them stay in school to complete their education and make good out of it is one challenge among the many that several girls face especially those from poor communities. Providing girls an equal opportunity to education means, ensuring that all those enrolled in school complete. First and foremost, there should be regular sensitization campaigns of parents and communities on the importance of girl-child education supported by effective polices and regulations . It is a pity that many girls are held back because of petty reasons such as, being in their menstrual days, they are busy helping with domestic work while the boys go to school, being encouraged and forced into early marriages. Government can provide free education but that isn't enough especially if parents and communities don't own the responsibility of educating and empowering the girl-child.

Support girls and women in crisis

Often times when we talk of girls and women in crisis, it is the big picture of war and its effects that we are familiar with. However, situations of crisis are more than that. Girls and women in Crisis involves being subjected to several types of abuse like molestation, defilement and rape, child labor, trafficking( under the disguise of finding them jobs and better life), child marriages where they are married off below 18 years of age and many other offenses that harm and affect their lives.

Standing up and defending girls and women against the above dangers should concern each and everyone of us. Steps such as implementation of firm and strict laws should be a starting point and ensuring that all school age going girls are receiving an education is one foot in the right direction. However, families and communities should be vigilant about the safety and security, proper well being and development of girls and women. Every little help and support counts and will go a long way in ending cycles of gender-based abuse,violence and crime thus, empowering and strengthening girls and women.

Mentor a girl close to home

An increasing poverty rate, poor-performing schools namely, in rural areas and violence as well as abuse against girls and women make it tough to be a girl-child in present Uganda. However, reach out programs in schools and communities like mentor ship and guidance are good approaches that can cause positive change and influence in the lives of girls and women.

Invest in a small business owner

There are a number of financial institutions that offer loans to women in form of start capital. This is a considerate effort especially to the poor women. However, the real challenge is that majority of these women don't have the required security that can qualify them for the loans. And also, many of them aren't savvy with the principals of money management and entrepreneur skills. As a people who are really enthusiastic about girls and women development, several options can be sought but one such is a simple approach of giving free entrepreneur skills, interest free capital and desired resources to interested individuals and groups within our own neighborhoods. It is said that charity begins at home and all of us are gifted and differently talented. Reach out to the nearest struggling girl or women in your area of residence and perform one kind act of empowerment. That might be the needed act that will cause change in a girl/women's life and make all the difference.

Use your voice to end preventable deaths of mothers and children

It is an ignominy that although incredible progress has been made in as far as maternal mortality is concerned, numbers are still high of mothers and children dying during childbirth. Ideally,no life should be lost at a time when a mother is bringing life forth into the world.

According to UNICEF's latest data, Uganda's maternal Mortality Rate has consistently been one of the highest in the world with 440 deaths per 100,000 live births. Women in rural areas are the most affected because of delay in seeking care, delay in reaching care caused by transportation challenges and delay in receiving adequate and appropriate care.

In addition to maternal mortality, there is also the high rate of children dying from preventable and treatable causes such as pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria. To support mothers and children's lives, Government should consider a more efficient and sustainable approach that can reach every mother and child.

Another personal approach is having the consciousness to help unable new mothers and children in our neighborhoods. The first few weeks of a newborn's life are the most critical and it is when mothers are overwhelmed. Helping them can be as simple as giving a new mother essentials she needs for herself and the baby.

The number of women in parliament can increase but empowerment will be achieved when the real challenges hindering girls and women from growth and development are brought to the forefront and effectively tackled.